You Found Me
by MuddyMutty
Summary: After Helga's older sister moves back to Hillwood and Helga can't handle life by herself anymore, she stumbles head first into trouble. Rating set to mature for future content. I'll put a disclaimer at the beginning of any Mature chapters. Critiques are highly accepted and will help me improve future chapters. Likely slow updates.
1. Chapter 1

Her blond pigtails slapped against the floor as she bowed to her false god, folded up on her bare legs with long, thin arms stretched in front of her. Plump, wide lips expressed huge tooth baring smile, cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

"Oh Arnold, my love god. How I fall time and time again by the shine beneath those emerald spheres, magnets for my souls deepest desires. That forever tousled cornflower hair lain upon a football head, sculpted by the greatest of artists. Your ear to ear smile makes my heart pound with bittersweet longing. My hands desire to brush across your soft skin, my lips to grace that princely grin you plaster across your face even in the hardest of times. But it is for not, as your love cannot be found. I am forever a stranded soul, hidden away inside this husk of a body, just waiting for you, my sweet, to return these feelings which I must hide away. Arnold, oh Arnold! Why must it be this way? Why must I not shower you with love, but instead with pain and anger? Why, I ask? Why?"

And with that she rolled onto her side and curled up, pressing her old locket to her chest, as if trying to fuse the face of her beloved into her, and finally become one with each other. She let out a long and heavy sigh, fiddling with the chain of her locket between her surprisingly slender and feminine fingers.

"OLGA!" Her father, Bob, thunderously shouted through the old house. "Come down for dinner and eat this meal your sister worked so hard to make for you!" He sighed deeply and grumbled, walking back to the table, "Ungrateful little girl."

"Coming, _Bob_!" Helga climbed up to her feet, brushing the dust off her loose black hoodie and hot pink skinny jeans. "Criminy, can't a girl get a little quiet time around here?" She mumbled to herself. Sliding the locket back around her neck and under her tank top, she stepped out of the closet, closing the door and peeked around her room. It was pretty messy after her little outburst earlier when she learned that, on top of her troubled love life, Olga would be staying over for the next week. It had been just another long day in the life of Helga G. Pataki.

As she walked down the stairs, Helga was greeted by the high pitched call of the ever elusive siren. "Little sister! Oh, I'm so glad to see you! You've been crammed up in your room like a caged dog all day, I was worried you'd never come to see me!" Olga scooped Helga up into her arms and lifted her off the ground, showering her with kisses and giggles.

"That's great Olga, but I can't... freaking... breathe! Let go of me already!" She struggled to slip out of her sisters surprisingly strong grip, which contrasted with her small and feminine figure.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dearest little sister!" Carefully letting the young blonde girl stand on her own two feet before straightening out her frilly blue and white dress, Olga smiled brightly. "Well, sit down. I've put together this meal that I learned how to make back in Africa, when I was teaching the poor little boys and girls there how to..."

Helga immediately tuned out the pointless babbling of her annoying sister, grumpily pulling out a chair at the table and glancing at her parents. Their pride was spilling out from their faces and practically flooding the room in a dense fog. It felt toxic.

"...And then I decided, maybe it's about time I moved back to Hillwood!" Olgas chipper voice brought Helga back to attention. "I already paid the fee on an apartment pretty nearby, so I can spent tons of time with my beautiful little sister, and of course my mummy and daddy!"

"You're moving back!?" Helga was shocked. "Why? Don't you need to help the poor kids anymore?"

"Little sister, weren't you listening? I said that after all my hard work, they were inspired to pull together a full team to teach them their classes! Someone even donated a grand piano."

"And we're both very proud of you Olga." Bob's gruff voice interjected, and Miriam nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys."

There was a loud bang as Helga stood up and slammed her hands to the table in a panic. "B-but Olga, surely someone's gotta need you around! Like starving orphans or something, you could build houses for them or something, some other charitable junk."

Seemingly oblivious to Helga's distress, Olga shook her head smiling. "Oh baby sister, I'm so glad you're concerned about the poor kids out there, but I have to settle down sometime and start a family."

Helga gawked for a moment at her older sister, disgusted by her need to just.. settle down. Meeting the right guy comes first, who cares about children if you don't have love? She wasn't left much time to her thoughts.

"Sit down, little lady! You should be happy for your sister, she's an amazing woman. You should be more like her." Bob sighed, "Just eat your meal."

She glared at her father momentarily, sitting down as if the chair could burn her. Scowling, she picked at her meal with her fork, shoving it around on her plate. Making a face, she hesitantly brought a bite to her mouth. It tasted alright... It actually tasted sort of good, maybe it'd be her new favorite- "AUGH! HOT" She spit the food all over the table before jumping up and running to the kitchen, yanking a carton of milk from the fridge and desperately chugging it.

"Helga, that is no way to behave! Don't you dare disrespect your sisters cooking like that! Do you have any idea how hard she worked to organize this dinner for you?" Anger radiated from Bob, his square jaw tightened and fists balled up.

'_Of course he remembers my name when I do something that might disgrace his precious little angel._' Shooting daggers with her eyes back at him, Helga wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stepped towards the front door. "Maybe I don't CARE how hard she made this meal. She knows I can't handle food that freaking spicy! What it is, pureed ghost peppers? I'm going out." She stomped outside and slammed the door, ignoring her fathers yelling and sisters bawling.

It was cold. Really, really cold. She folded her arms against herself and shivered, walking aimlessly down the street. '_Whatever,_' she thought to herself, a scowl twisting her face, '_it's not my fault my sister doesn't listen to me. I didn't choose to live here._' She took a shaky breathe, and when she exhaled there was a puff of steam. Snow was gently falling, resting on her head and thinly covered arms. '_Maybe I should have grabbed a coat or something._' She gently bit down on her lip, looking up to see that she had ventured unintentionally to the boarding house. A sad sigh escaped her tight lips. "Arnold, my love. If only I could be graced with your family. To be by your side is more than I could ever dream for." Swooning, she felt her locket through her top. A couple tears slipped from her eyes in frustration and loneliness. "Maybe then a smile would grace my face instead of a scowl. I could compliment instead of insult, love instead of hate." Glancing down bitterly, she kicked a little mound of dirty snow packed at the edge of the curb. Her tone turned sharp. "Who am I kidding. Once a Pataki, always a Pataki. I'd never be able to be anything like you. You're so kind and gentle, while I parade around waving an iron fist. Two actually." She leaned against the wall of the building directly across from sunset arms, punching the air to further show her point before resuming in her soft, gentle voice. "There's no way I could ever be as great as thee, with your golden hair and knowing gaze. I could never be so great. Never so deserving." She slid down the wall and sat in the damp, slushy snow, pulling out her locket and gazing at his half-lidded eyes. Hugging her knees to her chest with her free arm, she gently brushed against the cheek of the football headed boy in the photo with her thumb. "I love you Arnold."

A door opened and dozens of animals ran out. "Okay Grandpa, I get it. Wheat bread not white." Arnold shouted as he stepped outside.

Panic rushed through the pigtailed girl as she jumped to her feet, stuffing the scratched-up gold, heart shaped locket back under her clothes. She stood in the shadow motionless then, save for her shivering, and hoped she wouldn't be seen. It was a long shot, but if she ran it'd be obvious she was there.

"...Helga?" the boy strained his eyes to look across the street. He'd recognize that bow anywhere. "Helga, what are you doing out here, and wearing only that? You'll freeze to death!" Worry etched across his face, he jogged carefully across the empty road, avoiding any ice. He slipped off his fluffy, navy blue coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, noticing her red cheeks and shaking body. Truthfully, her cheeks were red not from the cold, but from a mix of embarrassment and puffiness from the tears she never noticed were falling.

"Arnold! I was just.. Uh.. Taking a walk! Criminy, can't a girl go for a walk these days without being stalked by your majesty?" Putting heavy emphasis on the last two words, she tried to force an angry scowl back onto her face, but her face softened as she silently swooned over his concern over her.

"You weren't even walking Helga. You were just standing there, and you're all wet." His voice was plain and dry, but he still wore a concerned frown. He grabbed her arm. "Come on, I'll have grandma make you some cocoa. You can't stand out here all wet in the snow."

She allowed herself to be dragged across the street, distracted by his touch. She shook her head violently just before they reached the door and yanked her arm from his grip. "Who said you could touch me, football head?"

"Don't be difficult Helga, just come inside. For once, just let me help you without chewing my head off." He sighed in frustration and stood by the door. "Please?"

Of course, she wasn't prepared for the rush of emotion she felt when she realized how serious he was about helping her warm up. She never was. Besides, he seemed genuinely worried, and she was just being a jerk. A child. '_No wonder he doesn't love me. Who would love a selfish little kid?_' she thought sadly. "O-ok Arnold."

To his surprise, she slowly walked up the steps and into the door as he opened it, moving in a robotic fashion as she forced her feet forward.

"You're back already boy? Oh wait, you're not Shortman, you're the feisty girl with one eyebrow!" Phil's old and worn voice was somehow filled with energy and excitement. "What're you doing here?

An old woman peeked over the mans shoulder. "Oh, Eleanor! It's so nice to see you! Come on in, I've just made a truckload of provisions, enough to last the upcoming blizzard!"

"Yeah, and you used up all the bread in the process! Nobody needs that many sandwiches in a lifetime, Pookie!"

Arnold interrupted the lighthearted bickering with a hurried string of words. "Helga's just coming in to dry off, she was taking a walk and it started snowing." He knew it wasn't the truth, but he'd seen her randomly around his home often enough to know it had to be a good reason, at least to her. He tugged on the sleeve of her hoodie, signaling her to follow him. She hesitantly complied, wiping her torn up shoes on the edge of the door and closing it behind her. They trotted up to his room, closing the door behind them.

"What were you thinking Helga?" His words seemed angry, but his tone was soft and still laced with mild distress as he watched her pull his coat off her shoulders and gently set it on his bed.

Helga sighed quietly, feeling suddenly exhausted. "Arnold, look. I don't want to get in your way. I don't want to ruin today for you and make you feel like crap for taking on my problems. All you said was that you were going to get me warmed up, so you don't need to... do this." She fixated herself on the hem of her hoodie as if it was the most impressive thing she'd ever seen.

Arnold furrowed his eyebrows. '_Why is she acting this way?_' Indeed, Helga was acting strange, even for her. It seemed as if the fire that was always lit behind her blue eyes was beginning to burn out. "Helga, you know I think of you as a friend. You can tell me anything. I can take it, really."

"Exactly Arnold," Helga's voice broke slightly, "You think of me as a friend." She had intended to speak quietly enough that Arnold would be unable to hear her, but failed.

"I don't understand Helga. I thought we had a great friendship."

"Arnold... Just.. Please don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't do this." She looked up at him with tired eyes. "I'm not your charity case, I'm not a puzzle to be solved, I'm just me, and my problems are my own. Please just let it slide Arnold." She averted her eyes to anywhere else her gaze could fall, which happened to be on the little pink book sitting on Arnold's desk. Her eyes widening, she let a surprised gasp slip out.

Arnold looked at her quizzically before following her gaze. "You remember it, Helga?" He never did figure out who that mysterious girl was who'd written about him, but he loved the poems. Sure, they were a little unnerving, but they flattered him and gave him confidence he couldn't find anywhere else. What could possibly be more of a compliment than someone dedicating a whole book to him, after all?

"Ah.. Um, yeah. Yeah I do. Did you uh.. Did you ever figure out who wrote it?" She felt a little nervous, not expecting him to still have that old piece of junk.

Sighing sadly, Arnold walked over to the book and flipped through the pages, feeling the air flutter against his face. "No, I didn't." His eyes moved back up to Helga, suddenly remembering that her clothes were practically soaked from all the melted snow on her. He'd somehow forgotten until just now. "Helga, you really should get out of those clothes. You're going to get sick."

Helga rolled her eyes, but was secretly relieved from the subject change. "I'm not about to parade around your room in my underwear, hair boy." She ended the sentence with a sharp, barking tone.

Arnold flinched at the nickname and felt a light blush creep across his cheeks at the image she described. He shook his head free of the thoughts. "O-of course not." He stepped towards his closet and started rifling through his clothes, looking for something warm that might fit her. "You can borrow some of mine, and I'll throw yours in the dryer. When they're nice and toasty you can borrow my coat and go home." He smiled as he found what he was looking for, a long sleeved plaid shirt he used to wear as a kid. It was too small for him now, but it used to be much too long, and Helga was a thin girl. Snagging a pair of black sweat pants that were folded up on a shelf above his shirts, he turned to Helga and presented the clothes to her in extended arms.

She chuckled and grabbed them from his hands, leaving the room and heading to the bathroom to change. She couldn't help but sniff his old shirt as she walked, of course after checking the halls for witnesses, and sighed dreamily.

It wasn't until then that Arnold discovered that his clothes were rather damp as well. He sighed heavily, returning to his closet and grabbing a large, baggy white t-shirt and his own pair of gray sweats. He was almost done changing, he had his sweat pants on but hadn't put his shirt on yet as he dried his hair with a loose towel he had left in his room after his last shower, when he heard footsteps coming up to the door and the low hum of Helga talking through the door, not lough enough for him to distinguish words.

"...Anyway, I didn't know where the dryer was, so I-" Helga dropped her wet clothes to the floor as she gawked at her beloveds bare chest, a couple stray droplets of water that had fallen off his wet hair were rolling down his smooth skin. She closed her mouth and they made eye contact, her face turning red as his flushed a light pink. "Er, s-sorry Arnold, I didn't know you were changing up here... I mean, if you had told me I would've knocked or something, but.."

Arnold laughed awkwardly and rushed to pull his shirt on, much to Helga's disappointment, the damp towel forgotten on the ground. "No, no, it's my fault, I should have yelled at you not to come in, I heard you coming, but I guess my thoughts didn't really move fast enough." His eyes fell to the wet bundle on the floor, and he quickly reached down and grabbed them, excusing himself from the room and rushing away from the awkward moment at hand.

'_I saw Arnold shirtless!_' Arnold had earned a toned figure from the chores he was assigned, things like stacking wood and fixing holes that mysteriously showed up on the walls in Ernie's room. Things his grandparents were too frail to do anymore. Helga stepped the rest of the way into Arnold's room and closed the door quietly. '_And I'm in Arnold's room! Alone in Arnold's room! Oh my gosh._' She stepped towards Arnold's bed, feeling weak at the knees, and flopped down on it, grabbing his pillow and holding it to her chest. She inhaled a deep and shaky breath. '_Oh my god, I have got to find out what shampoo he uses one of these days._' This was the closest thing to heaven she had experienced so far. She felt a little like monologuing, but deemed it far too risky given the situation, Arnold being due back any moment. She regretfully sat up, carefully putting his pillow back in place, and looked around the room. Some of the older things had been upgraded or replaced. She noticed that he wired a proper battery to his potato clock, and guessed that he got tired of forgetting to replace the old potatoes over the years. Surely he'd forgotten at least a couple times and wound up waking up late? His old computer had been replaced with a laptop, and likely the stereo system had been improved, judging by the extra speakers hung along the walls.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop to the sound of the man she had been thinking of walking up the steps and opening the door. "It should be about 30 minutes. I tossed my clothes in there too, I hope you don't mind." There was a silence before the sound of his rumbling stomach reminded the both of them of the sandwiches downstairs. "Wanna go get a bite to eat?"

Helga nodded, recalling her skipped dinner and frowning for a moment before standing up. The two teens made brief, awkward eye contact before heading downstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE: I know this fic is really slow moving, but I'm coming up with the plot as I go, and I think I'm doing pretty well for my first fanfic. Thank you so much for all the popularity in the first chapter already! It's really exciting! Love you guys, enjoy chapter two and remember that critiques are very useful! The text blocks in italics (you'll see) are flashbacks.**

The light was shining brightly though Helga's closed window, showering her in dim white despite the clouds. She woke to the sound of her father yelling through her door. "Young lady, get out of bed before I have to knock this door down and drag you out myself!" He huffed and stormed off.

Once the sound of his footsteps had faded and she heard the mumbling sounds of the TV being turned up, Helga groaned and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands. Casually stretching out her arms and flinging the toasty blanket off her body, letting the harsh cold nip at her legs, she scanned the room for her alarm clock. "8:15!?" She shrieked, trying to jump out of bed but forgetting the covers still wrapped around her feet. Next thing she knew, she was laying on the floor with a headache. "Criminy, stupid blankets. Stupid alarm clock. Stupid..." she sighed, "Stupid Olga." Her eyes fell as she sat up, recalling the night before.

_ Helga trudged home, her stomach full for the first time in a long time. It'd be better if it hadn't all been sandwiches made with peanut butter and raspberry jam, but oh well. Beggars can't be choosers. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointment clouding her good mood, knowing both that she had to go home, and that she'd have to return her beloveds coat in the morning. Tilting her head to the sky, she gazed at the stars while she walked. '_I wonder what Arnold's doing right now?_' She let her eyes slip closed, still taking small strides through the now crunchy and deep snow, a small layer of ice having formed over the top of it. '_I bet he's in bed, thinking about Lila or something._' Sighing, she locked her eyes on the slow approaching door to her house. '_He'd never think about me. Not in a good way anyway. He's probably annoyed that I even turned up there.'_ Her eyebrow furrowed tightly on her forehead. '_Why did I have to head over there and act like such a jerk? Why did I go to the boarding house in the first place?_' Her hand reached for the icy doorknob and slowly opened the door, only to hear quiet crying in the living room. Deciding to investigate, face relaxing, she tip toed from the entrance to the couch, careful not to make enough noise to wake Bob. _

_ "Olga?" Her voice was quiet and cautious. Surely her storming out earlier couldn't have upset her older sister that much, right..? "Olga, I'm sorry for storming out like that, I didn't mean to-"_

_ "It's not that baby sister." Olga interrupted, "I just.. have some things of my own I need to sort." She stared forward at nothing, as if she saw something nobody else could right in front of her. "It's no big deal okay sis? Now lets get you to bed!" Her voice was suddenly chipper, showing no trace of the heavy sadness that had pulled down her small body just a moment ago. She stood up and headed to the kitchen. "A warm glass of milk should put you right to sleep!" She grabbed a cup and turned to grab some milk when her arm was grabbed gently by the younger girl in the room._

_ "Criminy Olga, you don't need to lie to me. I'm not to fond of you already, it's not like I'll look down on you any more for whatever you have to say. Spill it." Helga knew that if Olga was hiding it, it had to be bad. Her thoughts went back to when she'd changed Olga's grades, leaving her older sister in tears. If something like that can make her cry openly, who knows what she'd feel the need to hide._

_ There was a long awkward silence before Olga brushed Helga's hand off her arm. "Okay Helga, I suppose 17 is old enough to understand what I have to say. Sit down on the couch and I'll meet you there in a bit."_

_ Helga simply nodded and left to the other room, leaving Olga to gather her thoughts, sensing the serious air around her sister. _

Helga was broken from her thoughts as she remembered the rush she was in to make it to the bus. The last thing she wanted this morning was to walk to school. She felt heavy, like she was carrying led bricks on her shoulders. '_I can't believe it. Miss perfect managed to get herself knocked up._' She wandered to the closet, picking out a pair of thick baggy jeans, her hoodie, and paused. '_Maybe this old thing will help me calm my nerves._' She yanked what used to be her childhood pink dress from her closet and gazed at it thoughtfully. It had been changed into a cute pink and red top, the back cut and fitted to her larger frame with soft black fabric hems, and two long, hot pink ribbons to be tied up like a corset. A small nostalgic smile set itself on her face as she got dressed. She then tied her hair in a high ponytail with the matching old ribbon to hide the fact she had no time to shower, letting the tails hang instead of tying them into a bow. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her book bag, jogging out of her room and to the kitchen. "Bye Miriam. Bob." Grabbing an apple, she rushed out the door, taking a bite before throwing it in the trash outside. She just barely made it to the bus stop, tapping on the door for the driver to open it back up and rushing in, sitting next to her best friend.

"Running late again Helga?" The short Asian girl questioned quickly, her smile fading at Helga's heavy expression.

Helga forced a convincing smile on her face. "Obviously, Pheebs. I can't believe I forgot to set my alarm again. Bob almost had my head." She moved her hand in a cutting motion over her throat and played dead, causing Phoebe to giggle. Helga had momentarily forgotten her worries, but after the rush was over, a scowl set on her face. She felt a heavy sympathy for her sister, sadness towards her own life, and confusion over all the other conflicting emotions cluttering her head. Phoebe picked up on it but, after knowing Helga for so long, knew it was best to leave her to her thoughts for the time being.

By the time she reached the school doors, she was a force to be reckoned with, hiding her sadness the only way she knew how. Her fists were folded so tightly her knuckles turned white, stomping through the hallways to her locker, slamming it open to get her books.

Chatting lightheartedly, Arnold and Gerald hadn't been warned about Helga's apparently bad mood, as they'd come to school early to put some last minute touches on their science report. They were lucky to be partnered together, but weren't so fortunate with their timing. Arnold spotted her first from behind and waved, skipping up to her. "Hey Helg-"

"What do _you_ want, football head?" Her emotions clouded her judgment as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him away from her.

Gerald waved his hands in front of him defensively while backing up. "You're on your own with this one man. I'll see you in class." Gerald fled the hall as fast as his feet could take him. He was still terrified of Helga, knowing all to well how vicious her right hook was.

"I-I was just saying hi Helga." Setting his fear aside, Arnold crossed his arms, taking slowed breaths and forcing himself to calm down.

"Shove it football head, I don't wanna hear it today."

"Helga.."

"What Arnoldo? You wanna know what's wrong huh? You wanna know why I'm so flippin' angry? Is that what it is? Maybe it's none of your business! Criminy!" With that, Helga stormed passed the very confused and slightly pale boy.

Her classes dragged on as smoothly as nails on a chalkboard. Everyone walked in careful circles around Helga, as if her glare could set them on fire, and everyone had scooted their desks a few inches away from her. She didn't even listen to her lessons, just doodled in her notebook as her angry walls started to crumble. She felt like a shaken soda, about to explode and make a mess over everything around her. '_I've really gotta talk to Pheebs about this. I can't possibly keep this to myself. Sorry, Olga, but it's not like Phoebe would tell anybody._' She sighed and tried to concentrate on the teacher for the remaining minutes of class, but had little success.

When the lunch bell rang, she shoved her supplies into her bag before pushing herself off the desk with both her hands. Her worn appearance seemed to fit how she felt at that moment. The front half of her hair had fallen out of the ribbon, and instead of restyling it, she just tightened the ribbon around the remaining messy ponytail. Her hoodie had gotten stretched out from the years of near-constant use, with random areas held together by safety pins, and holes in the cuffs that she could stick her thumbs through if her hands got too cold. The bottom hems of her jeans were frayed and mud stained. Carefully tugging the bottom of her fragile hoodie down past her hips, she swung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door towards the cafeteria, eyes downcast. '_I guess it could be worse. It could be me in Olga's situation._' She scoffed inwardly, '_Yeah right. As if anyone would want to get lucky with someone like me.__ Guys don't exactly line up at my doorstep to talk to me. Heck, most of them are too afraid of me to make eye contact. All because of this stupid facade I have to carry with me. And for what reason? Why do I-_' She smacked face first into someone and fell to the floor. She looked up only to see none other than Arnold. "Watch where you're going football head!" She stumbled awkwardly trying to get to her feet, suddenly realizing how lightheaded she was from skipping breakfast. '_Criminy, just what I needed_'. Then she felt a hand on her wrist, pulling her up and supporting her weight.

"Helga, are you okay? You're kind of shaky." Arnold's frowned slightly, his eyes calculating, as if he was solving a complex equation.

"I skipped breakfast, Arnoldo, what's it to ya?" Helga glared at him, yanking her hand away.

"Does this have anything to do with last night Helga?"

"No! Well, kind of, yes, but not what you think! It's a different thing from last night. Why am I explaining myself to you anyway?" She sighed and dragged her hand down her face in frustration. "Don't worry about it, okay? It's not a big deal.

"But Helga, it clearly is a big deal. You look kinda sick." He put the back of his hand to Helga's forehead, checking her temperature. "I guess you aren't though."

"Great, mystery solved, we done here?" She started to walked a few steps the other way before Arnold stepped in front of her.

"Helga I care about you. I don't know why it bothers you so much for someone to actually worry about your well-being and, frankly, I don't care."

"Maybe you should let me get to lunch then Arnold. So I can eat something. Or did you forget already that I skipped breakfast?"

Arnold blushed slightly, feeling stupid. "S-sorry Helga." Helga tried to walk away from him, only to find the blond in question walking alongside her like a lonely puppy. She sighed.

"I don't need a bodyguard. What, are you going to make sure I don't choke on the sad excuse for food they serve around here? Or are you going to be a poison checker? Because that last one might actually come in handy." Her scowl lifted slightly. It was hard for Helga to stay unhappy when Arnold watched over her like this. After all, he wasn't currently following anyone else around the halls, this fleeting moment was entirely for her.

"I'm not sure I have a death wish today. Can't we just drop some on the floor and see if it sinks through?" Arnold had sensed her mood change and smirked, hoping to wash her worries away.

"But Arnold, then the poor janitors might have their mops melt while they clean up. I vote Gerald for the official food tester." Chuckling, she entered the cafeteria. As they walked through the dense crowds, any attempts to maintain their conversation would likely be in vain. Instead, they exchanged a friendly look to each other, Helga taking note of how lovely his green eyes were, before stepping in line for the daily special. Arnold wore his usual school attire; a long sleeved plaid shirt, which was blue these days, some neutrally sized jeans, and running shoes. The little blue hat on his head was comically small, enough that it could probably be a clip on accessory. She briefly considered whether that was how he kept it from blowing off these days, resisting the temptation to reach over and check. The line being pretty long due to their late arrival, she occupied her time by watching the other two in her group from across the room.

– –

Phoebe giggled softly, covering her mouth. "Oh Gerald, that's so bad."

"Right? Then I said, 'Hey man, if you're not gonna treat your lady properly, I know someone who will, and he's lookin' at you right now.' You know what he did? He looked around the room. It didn't even click in the dopes head that I was talking about myself!" Gerald struck his thumb into his chest, flailing his other hand in the air. "So I was like, 'Buddy, I'm talking about me!'"

"What'd he do?" Phoebe had grown up to be Gerald's second best friend, shadowing him around school whenever Helga wasn't around. Though she loved listening to his stories about other girls, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He'd started wearing his hair shorter, and was the star of the football team. '_Way out of my league._' She sighed inwardly, keeping a smile on her face. She'd wanted to ask him out since the end of 8th grade, having not realized her feelings until then, but felt too intimidated and shy. He always seemed to be in a relationship with someone else anyway, when would she get the chance?

"At that point his face was all red, and the cute little number he was with was looking at me like I just slapped a bear. And he was gonna hit me I swear, but get this; she put her hand on his arm, and he just walked away. Then she slipped me her number!" He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and held it up for emphasis.

"That's great Gerald!" She gave him a high five with mock enthusiasm. "Will you be accompanying her to Rhonda's next party, or...?"

"Are you kidding? I'm sure I'll have an upgrade by then!"

'_Why do I even bother?_' Forcing out a small laugh, Phoebe picked at her food until Arnold and Helga made it to the table.

– –

"Hey Pheebs, what's up?" Helga's mood had lightened considerably, momentarily forgetting her problems. She sat down, roughly dropping her tray on the scratched up table.

"Oh, nothing Helga. Just the usual." She dragged out the last word slightly, and Helga nodded knowingly, offering a supportive smile.

Helga dug into her food like she'd never eaten in her life, the smell of sub-par cooking making her stomach ache with hunger. '_This is the last time I skip breakfast, I swear._' It was right then that she remembered everything had been bothering her that morning and frowned, her jaw refusing to chew. Swallowing her bite whole and choking only a little bit, she lifted her tray and rose to her feet. "Phoebe, you got a minute?" Her friend nodded and stood up with her, then heading outside to eat their meal in peace. Since it was still freezing out, nobody else dared venture out of the comfortably warm building.

"What's the matter Helga?" Phoebe's face held deep interest and mild concern, looking at her friend while taking small bites of her meal.

Helga shook her head slowly. "I'm not totally sure. I shouldn't be so concerned about my sister's problems, you know? But here goes nothing."

_ Pacing back and forth, Helga waited impatiently for her sister to walk into the room. '_Criminy, problems or not, nobody should take ten freakin' minutes to gather their thoughts._' She flopped down on the couch, pressing her palms against her tired eyes. She relaxed to the point of almost falling asleep, until she felt her sister wedge her way onto the couch next to Helga's feet. "Sorry baby sister, it's just a lot for me to process. I guess I lost track of time for a minute there." _

_ "You think? It's been.." She glanced at the clock, "23 freakin minutes!"_

_ "I know, and I'm very sorry. Do you want to go to bed? I could tell you later if you want."_

_ "Oh no you don't Olga. You had me out here for over 20 minutes, you're not getting off that easy." _

_ Olga took a deep breath and held it, closing her eyes and willing herself to relax. "Well... When I was in Africa, I sort of.. I met someone."_

_ "Really? That's the big secret?" Helga sat up, eying her sister incredulously._

_ "No, no. You didn't let me finish. Anyway, he was a pilot who volunteered to carry food and the like. One thing led to another, and... Well, after he left for another supply run, I discovered that I'm pregnant." Olga had finished the sentence in one breath, half hoping that her little sister wouldn't catch what she said. But of course she did._

_ Helga sat there with her eyes wide like dinner plates, letting the news sink in. "You're freaking pregnant!?" She grabbed her sister's shoulder in shock._

_ "Shhhhh, baby sister, I haven't told mummy and daddy yet!"_

_ Helga sank apologetically while looking around, and after hearing no movement around the house, she stared back to her sisters eyes. "Sorry Olga, I guess you just caught me off guard for a minute there. Heh." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "So.. What are you gonna do?"_

_ "What can I do? I have to move somewhere far enough that mommy and daddy can't check on me, and I'll raise this baby myself. I don't see any other options." Olga looked off into space again, her face sullen. There was a long silence before Helga stood up and stretched._

_ "Well, in any case, I better be heading to bed."_

_ "Oh, me too. I'm going to need all the rest I can get. Nighty nighty baby sister." Olga flashed a sad smile while heading to her room, and Helga left to her own soon after. She wrapped up in her cozy bed-covers and stared at the wall, just thinking about what her sister had told her._

"..And that's all I've been able to think about since." Helga finished telling Phoebe the story and resumed eating her lunch.

"You know what Helga? I think your sister is going to do just fine. She practically raised you herself until you were three, right?" Helga nodded. "Then she'll have no trouble raising a kid of her own!"

Helga couldn't help but smile at Phoebes comforting words. "Thanks Pheebs, you always know what to say."

"Any time Helga."

"And Pheebs?"

"Yes, Helga?"

"Lets get back inside," She stood, "I'm freezing to death out here."

Phoebe giggled and followed her best friend into the school, tossing her tray in the outside trash.

Little did the girls know, Arnold had overheard the most important parts of Helga's story when he'd gone to check on them. He scurried back inside before anybody sensed his presence, and wore his best poker face for the few remaining minutes of lunch.


End file.
